With its peaceful countryside scenery, dramatic ocean views and rewarding cycling routes, the Awa region of Chiba is a perfect place for a getaway. Whether you’re seeking full-service luxury or an immersive, slow-paced stay in a traditional home, Awa delivers options that blend comfort with local charm.
Here are our recommendations for elegant stays in the area.
The Shinra: Hot Spring Baths With Sweeping Bay Views
Perched on a hill above the bay in Tateyama, The Shinra sets the standard for luxury in Awa. Since its opening in 2006, the adults-only hotel has elevated the region’s hospitality landscape, and its most recent renovation pushes that further with sleek design, elegant service and a panoramic onsen experience.
Every room includes a private open-air hot spring bath and sweeping views of Tateyama Bay. The hotel’s new Prestige wing introduces high-ceilinged guest suites with large terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows. Here, you’ll also find a panoramic bathhouse — one of the highest in Chiba, positioned roughly 50 meters above sea level. On clear evenings, Mount Fuji makes a distant but striking appearance beyond the bay.
Cuisine is a highlight here. Fresh seafood from the group’s own fishing fleet is delivered to the kitchen within an hour of being caught. It’s a rare system even in Japan, allowing guests to savor a variety of exquisite dishes created by chefs who know the full charm of the sea’s seasonal bounty. Guests dine in a stylish restaurant with live grill stations and seasonally driven menus. Breakfast features fresh, seasonal smoothies made using local vegetables and fruits; organic produce; egg dishes made with fresh eggs from the local Miyamoto Poultry Farm; and fish that’s dried in-house.
The resort also offers in-room spa treatments and access to an executive lounge on the top floor, where guests can enjoy complimentary drinks with a view of the sea. Concierge services help arrange cycling routes and offer transport to nearby attractions, making it easy to explore while staying relaxed.
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The Shinra
284-1 Shiomi, Tateyama city
To reserve a room, click here.
Loof Seinoie: A Luxurious Renovated Kominka (Traditional Home)
If The Shinra offers a hotel-style escape, Loof Seinoie provides a different kind of luxury: time. Loof specializes in kominka-style hotels, restoring historic Japanese homes into private rentals. At this location — located in the quiet forests of Minamiboso, just 10 minutes from the sea — you’ll find a 150-year-old restored farmhouse that can fit up to eight guests. Traditional flourishes define the space, from a noren at the entrance to preserved beams and an open hearth. It’s an optimal place to relax and unwind, with a garden-facing Finnish sauna, a 24-hour open-air bath, an outdoor firepit and a lack of screens or clocks.
Guests can opt for a full meal plan, including a multicourse dinner served at the irori (sunken hearth), complete with seasonal fish, meats and vegetables from the region. Prepared by staff and served in the privacy of your lodging, it’s an effortless way to taste the region’s best. Prefer something more private or spontaneous? The private kitchen is equipped with rice cookers, cookware and a large refrigerator, making it easy to bring and prepare your own food.
Evenings unfold around the fire pit or in the scent of cedar inside the four-person sauna. Morning arrives slowly, with birdsong replacing alarm clocks and locally sourced breakfasts served hot in bamboo steamers. There’s Wi-Fi throughout the property, but most guests come to disconnect.
Seinoie’s setting — surrounded by raised rice fields and forest — provides a rare sense of calm. Families, couples and solo travelers alike can settle into a pace dictated by sunlight and mealtimes. The house even offers guests the chance to write a letter to their future selves, a quiet moment of reflection in an otherwise fast-paced world.
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Loof Seinoie
1135-1 Ogawa, Wada-cho, Minamiboso city
To reserve a room, click here.
Learn more about Chiba’s Awa region and what it has to offer here.
